2021 Best Colleges in the United States
It's not easy to decide which college to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual has developed its Top Colleges and Universities ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
After analyzing 1,715 schools in the United States, we came up with our list of those that offered the highest quality education. Our ranking methodology focuses on over 20 different objective factors - such as graduation rate, post graduate earnings, and a school's average expenditure per student - to make this determination.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
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We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location or field of study and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head!
Top Colleges in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Princeton University tops this year’s ranking as the best school in the United States for overall quality. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 1,297 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Princeton make an average of $74,700 per year during the early years of their career.
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Out of the 1,715 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #2 spot on the list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 2,303 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The low student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Duke make an average of $84,400 per year during the early years of their career.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #3 on our 2021 Best Colleges in the United States list. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 2,902 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 86%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $89,700 during the early years of their career..
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A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges in the United States list means California Institute of Technology is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Pasadena, California, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 241 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 84%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Caltech make an average of $85,900 a year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2021 Best Colleges in the United States list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,333 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The student-to-faculty rate of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from MIT make an average of $104,700 per year during the early years of their career.
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Stanford University landed the #6 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges in the United States ranking. Located in Stanford, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 1,892 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $94,000 during the early years of their career..
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Williams College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 718 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 88%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Williams make an average of $59,000 a year.
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Pomona College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the United States ranking.Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 449 students in 2018-2019.
Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 91%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Pomona go into careers with an average salary of $58,100 during the early years of their career.
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University of Pennsylvania ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges in the United States list.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,632 students in 2018-2019.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UPenn is $85,900 during the early years of their career.
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Yale University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #10.New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,664 students in 2018-2019.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. During the early years of their career, graduates from Yale make an average of $83,200 a year.
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Rice University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #11. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 1,228 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from Rice make an average of $65,400 a year.
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Northwestern University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the United States ranking.Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,770 students in 2018-2019.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. During the early years of their career, graduates from Northwestern U make an average of $69,000 a year.
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Brown University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #13. Brown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,097 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Brown make an average of $67,500 per year during the early years of their career.
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University of Notre Dame came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the United States ranking. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,642 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame go into careers with an average salary of $78,400 during the early years of their career.
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Dartmouth College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #15. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Hanover, New Hampshire that handed out 1,249 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The student-to-faculty rate of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $75,500 during the early years of their career..
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Amherst College landed the #16 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges in the United States ranking.Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 705 students in 2018-2019.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Amherst is $65,000 during the early years of their career.
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Cornell University landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges in the United States ranking.Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,145 students in 2018-2019.
Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 86%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Cornell make an average of $77,200 a year.
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Harvey Mudd College landed the #18 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges in the United States ranking. Located in Claremont, California, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 211 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $88,800 during the early years of their career..
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University of Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the United States ranking. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,024 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UChicago go into careers with an average salary of $68,100 during the early years of their career.
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Johns Hopkins University landed the #20 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges in the United States ranking. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,747 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $73,200 during the early years of their career..
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Swarthmore College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the United States ranking. Swarthmore is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. It awarded 545 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. During the early years of their career, graduates from Swarthmore make an average of $56,700 a year.
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Hamilton College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges in the United States list.Clinton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 603 students in 2018-2019.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton go into careers with an average salary of $60,200 during the early years of their career.
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Claremont McKenna College landed the #23 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges in the United States ranking. Claremont McKenna is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 453 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Claremont McKenna make an average of $72,900 per year during the early years of their career.
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Vanderbilt University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the United States ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,280 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The student-to-faculty rate of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt go into careers with an average salary of $69,000 during the early years of their career.
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Washington and Lee University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the United States ranking. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lexington, Virginia. It awarded 564 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee is $76,100 during the early years of their career.
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Request InformationRest of the Top 50 Best Colleges in the United States
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Narrow Colleges by Region
Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in the United States
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester, MA |
| 52 | Haverford College | Haverford, PA |
| 53 | Lafayette College | Easton, PA |
| 54 | Franklin and Marshall College | Lancaster, PA |
| 55 | Georgetown University | Washington, DC |
| 56 | University of Rochester | Rochester, NY |
| 57 | Scripps College | Claremont, CA |
| 58 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy, NY |
| 59 | Tufts University | Medford, MA |
| 60 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 61 | Boston College | Chestnut Hill, MA |
| 62 | St Louis College of Pharmacy | Saint Louis, MO |
| 63 | Bentley University | Waltham, MA |
| 64 | University of Richmond | University of Richmond, VA |
| 65 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 241 | Spelman College | Atlanta, GA |
| 242 | Augustana University | Sioux Falls, SD |
| 243 | Ohio Northern University | Ada, OH |
| 244 | Fordham University | Bronx, NY |
| 245 | The College of Wooster | Wooster, OH |
| 246 | Lebanon Valley College | Annville, PA |
| 247 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 248 | University of Nebraska - Lincoln | Lincoln, NE |
| 249 | Ringling College of Art and Design | Sarasota, FL |
| 250 | Bard College | Annandale-On-Hudson, NY |
| 251 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville, TN |
| 252 | Transylvania University | Lexington, KY |
| 253 | Cleveland Institute of Music | Cleveland, OH |
| 254 | University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS |
| 255 | Quinnipiac University | Hamden, CT |
| 256 | Siena College | Loudonville, NY |
| 257 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | Rolla, MO |
| 258 | Cornell College | Mount Vernon, IA |
All Majors and Fields of Study >
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 259 | Augustana College | Rock Island, IL |
| 260 | Southern California Institute of Architecture | Los Angeles, CA |
| 261 | Saint Mary’s College of California | Moraga, CA |
| 262 | Milwaukee School of Engineering | Milwaukee, WI |
| 263 | Juniata College | Huntingdon, PA |
| 264 | Washington College | Chestertown, MD |
| 265 | Central College | Pella, IA |
| 266 | University of Oklahoma Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
| 267 | University of Redlands | Redlands, CA |
| 268 | Good Samaritan College of Nursing & Health Science | Cincinnati, OH |
| 269 | St. John Fisher College | Rochester, NY |
| 270 | DePaul University | Chicago, IL |
| 271 | George Mason University | Fairfax, VA |
| 272 | University of Oregon | Eugene, OR |
| 273 | Saint Norbert College | De Pere, WI |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 274 | University of Missouri - Columbia | Columbia, MO |
| 275 | Berry College | Mount Berry, GA |
| 276 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
| 277 | SUNY Geneseo | Geneseo, NY |
| 278 | Ripon College | Ripon, WI |
| 279 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina | Charleston, SC |
| 280 | Simmons University | Boston, MA |
| 281 | University of Detroit Mercy | Detroit, MI |
| 282 | University of the Sciences | Philadelphia, PA |
| 283 | University of Evansville | Evansville, IN |
| 284 | Lewis & Clark College | Portland, OR |
| 285 | Whitworth University | Spokane, WA |
| 286 | Hendrix College | Conway, AR |
| 287 | Kettering University | Flint, MI |
| 288 | Franciscan University of Steubenville | Steubenville, OH |
| 289 | Knox College | Galesburg, IL |
| 290 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 291 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Buzzards Bay, MA |
| 292 | University of California - Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA |
| 293 | John Carroll University | University Heights, OH |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 294 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | Baton Rouge, LA |
| 295 | Christopher Newport University | Newport News, VA |
| 296 | The New England Conservatory of Music | Boston, MA |
| 297 | Saint Michael’s College | Colchester, VT |
| 298 | Covenant College | Lookout Mountain, GA |
| 299 | Ohio Wesleyan University | Delaware, OH |
| 300 | Roger Williams University | Bristol, RI |
| 301 | Bethel University Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN |
| 302 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark, NJ |
| 303 | Le Moyne College | Syracuse, NY |
| 304 | Beloit College | Beloit, WI |
| 305 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 306 | The University of Texas at Dallas | Richardson, TX |
| 307 | Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 308 | St Mary’s College of Maryland | St. Mary’s City, MD |
| 309 | Embry Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach | Daytona Beach, FL |
| 310 | Kansas State University | Manhattan, KS |
| 311 | University of South Florida Sarasota - Manatee | Sarasota, FL |
| 312 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL |
| 313 | Xavier University | Cincinnati, OH |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 314 | Agnes Scott College | Decatur, GA |
| 315 | Biola University | La Mirada, CA |
| 316 | Hofstra University | Hempstead, NY |
| 317 | Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, IL |
| 318 | Rutgers University - Newark | Newark, NJ |
| 319 | College of the Atlantic | Bar Harbor, ME |
| 320 | Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR |
| 321 | Hampshire College | Amherst, MA |
| 322 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA |
| 323 | Cedarville University | Cedarville, OH |
| 324 | Belmont University | Nashville, TN |
| 325 | University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, IA |
| 326 | Assumption University | Worcester, MA |
| 327 | Embry Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott | Prescott, AZ |
| 328 | Mercer University | Macon, GA |
| 329 | University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 330 | Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences | Lancaster, PA |
| 331 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 332 | Randolph - Macon College | Ashland, VA |
| 333 | Nazareth College | Rochester, NY |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 334 | University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR |
| 335 | University of Maryland - Baltimore County | Baltimore, MD |
| 336 | Eckerd College | Saint Petersburg, FL |
| 337 | Union University | Jackson, TN |
| 338 | Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | New York, NY |
| 339 | Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, IN |
| 340 | Pacific University | Forest Grove, OR |
| 341 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus | Cincinnati, OH |
| 342 | University of Wisconsin - La Crosse | La Crosse, WI |
| 343 | Hanover College | Hanover, IN |
More Nationwide Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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